Sydney Gives a Final Wave to a Princess then Prepares for a New Dawn as Cruise Season Gets Underway
Date: 03 Oct 2007
Australia has hosted Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess for the last time, with the ship yesterday paying a final visit to Sydney before her transformation into P&O Cruises’ first superliner, Pacific Dawn.
More than 1500 passengers disembarked from Regal Princess in Sydney early morning, after a 31-night repositional cruise from the ship’s most recent homeport, Los Angeles.
Regal Princess then sailed from Sydney at 5pm, bound for Singapore for a three-week dry dock and multi-million dollar refurbishment.
Wearing her new P&O Cruises’ livery and her new name, Pacific Dawn, the superliner will return to Sydney in time for her official naming by Australian Olympian Cathy Freeman on November 8. Her first cruise – a 14-night South Pacific sojourn – will set sail from Sydney on November 9.
The ship’s visit yesterday marked the start of the 2007-08 Australian cruise season – the biggest on record yet for Complete Cruise Solution which operates P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises in Australia and represents Cunard, Seabourn, Costa and P&O Cruises World Voyages.
Highlights of the season include the debut of Pacific Dawn and Sun Princess, the maiden visit of Cunard’s new liner Queen Victoria and the final Australian visit of Cunard legend QE2.
Carrying up to 2050 passengers, the 77,000 ton Pacific Dawn is the largest ship ever to sail in P&O Cruises’ fleet, with a gross tonnage more than 60 per cent greater than P&O Cruises’ previous flagship, Pacific Sun.
Designed by world-renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, the ship has a distinctive dolphin-like prow, which will be home to a new entertainment area and observation lounge “The Dome”. Other features include a three-storey atrium, 9 bars and lounges, five evening dining options, whirlpool spas, library, showlounge, duty-free shopping, gym and health spa and a jogging track.
The first superliner to be based year-round in Sydney, Pacific Dawn will also launch a new concept for Australian cruising – Your Choice Cruising, which offers passengers more choice in cabins, including Australia’s most affordable balcony cabins and a selection of spacious balcony suites. It also features more choice in dining – so passengers can choose when, where and with whom they wish to dine each evening – and more choice in entertainment.
